Week 2 of 2025 Ramadan is underway, and today’s post is to tackle common misconceptions and phrases that get tossed around during this holy month! For those looking to learn about Ramadan, and often even Muslims themselves, we get trapped within the narrative of viewing this month as simply a time to starve and be thirsty, but not for its true intended purpose to reconnect yourself with God, and build those healthy habits for the rest of the year.
At its core, Ramadan is not just a month of abstaining from food and drink; it’s about abstaining from harmful habits and distractions, like smoking or vaping. It’s about developing patience, building self-discipline, and reconnecting with God.
Through fasting, Muslims learn to appreciate the blessings they often overlook, especially the simple gift of food, something many take for granted. Ramadan encourages you to be more mindful, grateful, and spiritually aware, not just of what you consume, but of the larger picture of what sustains you in life.
If you still want to understand a bit more about the month of Ramadan itself, and what it means to Muslims around the world, remember to check out Ep. 1 to this series!
Common Misconceptions & Stereotypes
Ramadan is JUST starving – As we touched on prior, the main misconception of Ramadan is that it’s simply starving yourself. As we addressed, it is much more than such, and by abstaining from food, Muslims learn to isolate themselves from ‘worldly’ matters; basically common mistakes or bad habits we develop throughout our lives, to focus on God and his message.
Not Even Water?? – This may be the most asked question people who fast are asked, and the answer is yes! Not even water is allowed during a fast, although it may sound challenging, remember Muslims don’t fast to test their endurance, but to learn the patience required in not drinking or eating. Humans, biologically, can go very few days continuously without water, but remember Muslims may eat before sunrise and after sunset, so there is plenty of time to hydrate!
You fast for 30 whole days straight! – NOT TRUE. As mentioned before, you may eat before sunrise and after sunset. It is impossible to survive and not eat and drink for such extended periods of time. This is a method to develop patience, not die for God.
Everyone HAS to fast all the time: Once again, this claim proves to be inaccurate. As per Muslims’ holy book, the Quran, women on their menstrual cycle or pregnant, the sick, the elderly, or traveling are not obligated to fast. Overall, the consensus from Islamic scholars is that if your fast will impact you negatively, harm, or weaken you, you are not mandated to fast.
FAQ’S
Now, many times when speaking to individuals who are fasting, or in general, we as humans are naturally curious, but are scared to ask questions. I actually encourage you to ask anyone you know who’s fasting questions, as they are more than likely happy to share their own individual experiences with you! But the goal of this post is to address questions, misconceptions, and stereotypes of Ramadan. Here are some questions and conversations I’ve encountered that may answer some of YOUR questions!
“I feel so bad eating in front of you”
This one is quite common, and please don’t think if someone has shared their journey of fasting with you, you cannot eat in front of them. Please do, those who fast must know the world doesn’t all fast, so it is inappropriate for someone to expect you not to eat. Muslims fast by choice, and if they are offended by someone else eating, they must remember it’s not a social obligation and to create some patience if they are affected by someone eating in front of them.
“Why can’t you break your fast when you’re hungry?”
Great question! The point of Ramadan is for one to be hungry to develop the characteristics and habits I mentioned before. Now, for Ramadan, there are timings to follow, so unless you are faced with unforeseen circumstances such as some I’ve listed above, you actually aren’t allowed to as it illegitimizes your fast of the day, so we wait until sunset, also called by Muslims as “Iftar.”
“Do you still have to pray in Ramadan, if you’re tired because of the fast?”
Muslims outside of Ramadan are mandated to pray five times a day, which are called: Fajr, Zohr, Asr, Maghrib, and Isha. This actually extends through Ramadan too, and for many Muslims, this may be the time where they are more consistent, as they are trying to better their habits. Many times Muslims in Ramadan even go for extra prayers after breaking their fast, called ‘Taraweeh’.
Thank you all for reading Ep. 2 of the ‘Beyond The Fast’ series, and I hope you’ve enjoyed! Feel free to ask any questions in the comments, and even if you don’t fast, explore this month, however you want, with 1.9 billion Muslims around the world!
See you next week for more insights and reflections!